(Editor's note: The elder who is the subject of this article, Arturo Noriega, took part in a housing rally in the city's South of Market Area (SOMA) yesterday (10/9/13) protesting the gentrification, high rents and evictions in the neighborhood. He is currently homeless. He has worked tirelessly to obtain housing, doing all the necessary things in order to secure a place. Mr. Noriega took part in the SOMA march, called, "SOMA Time and the Livin' Ain't Easy Walk of Shame", that was organized by housing rights groups and tenants from throughout San Francisco. Mr. Noriega took time to participate in the rally, despite being run back and forth in a bureaucratic maze that is extremely frustrating, to say the least. Below is the story of his current struggle to obtain housing in a most hostile city for tenants and potential tenants. Arturo is pictured (in blue cap) in upper right hand corner of picture speaking to reporter)
A San Francisco man who was approved for section 8 housing at Trinity Place in the city’s South of Market area (SOMA), a hotbed of tech sector fueled evictions and gentrification, finds himself in a frustrating and demoralizing bureaucratic maze that is keeping him from securing the housing he needs to come out of his homeless situation.
Arturo Noriega is currently homeless. He is a San Francisco resident who has been extremely proactive in trying to obtain housing. He enlisted the help of the Bill Sorro Housing Program in July in applying for housing at Trinity Place, located on 1188 Mission Street. Mr. Noriega completed all of the necessary paperwork with due diligence. His application was submitted, which included his financial information, and was submitted into a lottery, to be among other applicants looking to obtain housing from a limited number of units.
The developer at Trinity refused to honor its binding section 8 agreement that is has with the city. This prompted the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community development to get involved. Communication ensued between the attorneys and representatives from both sides which resulted in, supposedly, a resolution of the situation. However, the situation—in fact—did not change, as Mr. Noriega finds himself in a confusing bureaucratic maze and is still homeless.
Trinity Management has advised Mr. Noriega that he needs a co-signer on the lease as well as a credit check.
If Mr. Noriega’s financials weren’t sufficient, or if there was a question regarding it, then why was he approved for a unit in the first place?
This has been a demoralizing nightmare for Mr. Noriega, who has honorably and exhaustively worked to secure housing in order to get himself out of homelessness.
Our message to Trinity Properties, Caritas Management and The Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development: Do right by Mr. Noriega. Stop messing around with this man’s life and give him the unit that he was promised. Or is it that you don’t want section 8 tenants, that you are banking on him to give up out of frustration? Give the man what you said you were going to give him. You ought to be ashamed.